Me Wrong…Why Not?!

After reviewing the TED.com website, I reviewed the speech by Kathryn Schulz entitled On Being Wrong.

In her speech, she spoke about the reasons why we are so afraid of being wrong and how we view other people’s perception when we are found to be wrong. During a road trip, she spoke about how she mistakenly took a picnic table sign as a foreign symbol. When corrected, she began to think about why she felt so badly about being wrong. Why did she feel like being wrong meant that something was wrong with her??

The audience was deeply engaged after recognizing that we have all been wrong at some point and that our being wrong has not always been a bad thing…we have all experienced instances where being “wrong” was to our advantage.  It can create an excitement of sorts…

Kathryn expounded upon why we as individuals are so stuck on having to be right. What is it about being deemed right that makes us feel so superior or being deemed wrong that makes us feel so inferior? Her concept is very interesting because this perception of ourselves, whether right or wrong affects us personally and professionally. Even more so, others perception of us directly affects us since, most times we are unaware that we are wrong until other people point it out.  When we realize that we are wrong or are perceived to be wrong, we immediately either look at ourselves in a less favorable light or we simply become arrogant and assume that we are right and that other people are incorrect. Looking at being wrong can cause self-doubt and leave us feeling badly. Or, to ease our egos, we assume that we are right and that those who don’t believe that we are right are susceptible to one of three assumptions:

The Assumption of Ignorance

The Assumption of Idiocy

The Assumption of Evil

Kathryn’s speech made me begin to think about how being wrong can be a learning experience; after all, it is part of the human experience. No one goes through life without being wrong either in perception or in fact. Why should we be ashamed of being wrong? Why not use this as a learning experience?!

We see the world as we choose and this benefits us as people; our ability to see the world differently should keep us all from being embarrassed if we are wrong. This allows us to be humble and meek when we are wrong and to learn from those experiences where we are wrong. The greatest lesson in life!!

So, have I ever been wrong?! Why, yes…and I am proud to say so!Kathryn Schulz: On Being Wrong

So, who manages the managers?! NAPAMA - Northern American Performing Arts Managers & Agents

The North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA) is a non-profit association for US performing arts managers and agents that promotes the industry's professionalism and ensures the industry's integrity for managers and agents of performing artists.

In addition to advancing the interests of the industry's managers and agents, NAPAMA is a resource for its members and creates a regional, national and international alliance between and on behalf of managers and artists. The association was founded in 1979 to ensure and foster the effectiveness and professionalism of managers, agents and self-managed artists. NAPAMA provides an open forum of communication among its members through meetings and organizational e-letters to keep existing members informed and provide on-going assistance for its new members.

Self-touted as " A cooperative voice, in a competitive business", NAPAMA promotes and supports other agencies, unions and organizations that serve local, national and international performing artists. Understanding the importance of performing arts managers and agents, NAPAMA assists in ensuring that communities across the nation have access to the very best avant-garde, classical and modern performing artists in the world.

Whether a manager, agent, self-managed artist, affiliated business vendor or other associated party, NAPAMA is the "voice" in the performing arts field. As the performing arts industry is ever evolving,  NAPAMA organizes educational sessions and provides up-to-date information regarding all facets of the performing arts industry such as taxation, immigration, licensing, insurance and contract law.

There is a standard of excellence that is required from managers and agents. NAPAMA works to assist in capitalizing and retaining this high quality of excellence. This standard has forced NAPAMA to establish guidelines of ethical behavior related to all manager/artist relations and has implemented an annual award of excellence for those managers and artists who are distinguished in their field. The citation of excellence will be presented at the annual Arts Presenters conference by the NAPAMA board.

NAPAMA is recognized as a reputable performing arts manager and arts association in the United States and North America. It is not just recognized as a vehicle to educate, inform and communicate with managers and artists, but also to promote the vitality of the performing arts.

While NAPAMA is not a governing association and cannot impeach an ineffective manager or artist, it provides current and relevant educational tools, communication forums and incentives to increase and retain a spirit of excellence in this field.


.Northern American Performing Arts Managers & Agents Association